Tuesday, December 06, 2011

Women's Research Resource: Women Veterans

As
we remember those who served during World War II and Pearl Harbor Day, consider
the following sources in researching military women ancestors.

When
researching any ancestor it is vital to learn about the time period and what
life was like during that time and under those circumstances. Military Women Veterans: Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow includes information on stories of women who have served from Revolutionary War
to the present. There is a link for each
conflict including World War II.

Experiencing War: Women at War is a project of the Veteran’s History Project. Twelve women’s stories are available on video and audio to download and listen
to. You must have Real Player to listen
and view the films, which is a free download with a link available at the site. These interviews represent civilian and
military women serving during World War II to the Persian
Gulf.

Similarly,
the Idaho State Historical Society has a Women in World War II Veteran’s History
Project. There is a Finding Aid to this collection . This collection includes 48 interviews with
women who served or were somehow affected by the war. Interviews include a Japanese American woman
who was interred at Camp Minidoka, a woman who was in the British Royal Air
Force, women who were in various branches of the military, and a woman who was
part of the underground in the Netherlands. These stories bring alive the experience of
women during this time period and can provide those of us who were not part of
this era with some ideas about what life
was like and women’s contributions during this time.

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About Me

Gena Philibert-Ortega holds a Master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and a Master’s degree in Religion. Presenting on various subjects involving genealogy, women’s studies and social history, Gena has spoken to groups throughout the United States and virtually to audiences worldwide. Gena is the author of hundreds of articles published in genealogy newsletters and magazines including Internet Genealogy, Family Chronicle, GenWeekly and the WorldVitalRecords newsletter. She is the author of the books, From the Family Kitchen (F + W Media, 2012), Cemeteries of the Eastern Sierra (Arcadia Publishing, 2007), and Putting the Pieces Together . Gena is the editor of the Utah Genealogical Association’s journal Crossroads. An instructor for the National Institute for Genealogical Studies, Gena has written courses about social media and Google. She serves as President for the So. California Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists and is a board member of the Utah Genealogical Association. Her current research interests include social history, community cookbooks, signature quilts and researching women’s lives.